


On Purpose

by BigBadLittleRed



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, Jonathan and Steve get to know one another, M/M, Nancy leaves for college, Past Child Abuse, Senior year, Slow Burn, Some angst, cute boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-23 03:32:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8312365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBadLittleRed/pseuds/BigBadLittleRed
Summary: After Nancy leaves for college, Jonathan and Steve are left to take care of each other in her absence.





	1. Goodbye Nancy Wheeler

**Author's Note:**

> ( Another Stonathan fic, yay! This one is just going to be a series of scenes, sort of like one-shots I guess? Hope you enjoy! )

Nancy leaves on a regular summer day, with the sun rising over the trees and the slight chill of night beginning to fade quickly. Steve and Jonathan stand side by side, for once Steve is just as quiet as his often polar opposite counterpart. Their junior year had flown by in a flash, a year of dealing with the repercussions of the Demogorgon and exploring new friendships.

 

Of course that had to end right when they had just begun to get something really good. Jonathan supposes it’s typical, nothing ever really went right for him, and he was just an unlucky and oftentimes unhappy guy. But Steve Harrington always got what he wanted, and what he wanted right now was for Nancy to stay. Yet they continue to stand there, watching her place her bag in the passenger seat before shutting the door and turning back to them.

 

“Well, that’s it.” She says with a weak smile, Jonathan tries for one in return but it probably resembles more of a grimace. Steve simply remains quiet and stoic, he wasn’t quite pouting as much as brooding. All she had needed was some of the stuff she had left at Steve’s house, and it had been a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to them alone. The final goodbye before she traveled miles away to a school until break.

 

They would never ask Nancy to stay in Hawkins; there were a lot of foul memories here. Although Steve often played the part of the selfish, snotty brat, he’d never intentionally shame Nancy into giving something so precious up. She had finished all of her courses early, with even extra credit to spare. She had gotten a one-way ticket to a prestigious college in California, and now she was leaving.

 

She was leaving Steve and Jonathan behind for their senior year, to navigate it by themselves. Who was going to tutor them, or teach them helpful study methods, or smack Steve whenever he started distracting Jonathan from his work? School started in just a few weeks. It just wouldn’t be the same without Nancy Wheeler in the equation.

 

“I guess so,” Jonathan mutters, ducking his head a little and clearing his throat awkwardly.

 

“Come here, idiot.” He’s being pulled into a firm embrace, Nancy’s hair tickling his cheek and the scent of her perfume in his nose. Jonathan would miss her, he could try to list the reasons why but it would take too long.

 

When they break apart, Nancy looks to Steve, who still seems undoubtedly miffed. She pulls him into a hug as well, and Jonathan watches as Steve melts into her hold. He squeezes his eyes shut and sighs quietly, they grudgingly let go and Steve stares down at her with sad eyes.

 

“You’re gonna rule the world one day, Nancy Wheeler.” He says goodheartedly, offering a wisp of a smirk. “Call us when you can, all right?” He murmurs, and Nancy nods dutifully.

 

“First chance I get,” She leans up on her tippy-toes and kisses his cheek, before turning and doing the same to Jonathan. “Be good, boys. I’m not going to be running around behind you this year.” She says, almost regretfully.

 

“Who says it’s you running behind us?” Jonathan jokes softly with a scoff, and a quiet laugh bubbles from Steve’s lips as Nancy turns hard eyes on the Byers boy.

 

“You watch yourself, Jonathan Byers. I’m not leaving forever; you’d better watch your back.” She grins then, and he can’t help but smile a little in return. She wasn’t leaving forever; she’d be back eventually… Breaks, eventually summer. She might even get home for graduation, if she could make it home in time.

 

“Yes, ma’am.” He agrees with a nod, shoving his hands into his pockets.

 

“It’s your job to occupy Steve now.” She smiles, but Jonathan understands that she’s partially serious. When she turns to Steve, she crosses her arms. “Don’t let Jonathan get lost in his head for too long, okay?” She glances between them, and Jonathan peers over at Steve to find him gazing back.

 

A mutual bond was shared between them, a silent respect that had bloomed into an actual friendship over time. Nancy had to push them in the right direction for a while, but after a while Nancy didn’t have to egg them on to worry about one another. All they would have was each other now, Steve and Jonathan against the world.

 

“Okay.” They agree in union, and both direct their gaze back to Nancy as she steps around to the driver’s side of the car and gets in. She waves from her seat, and they both raise hesitant hands to stiffly wave back.

 

They stand on the curb in front of Steve’s house for far too long after Nancy’s car turns the corner and the engine fades into the distance. Eventually, Steve pats him on the shoulder before grabbing Jonathan’s denim jacket by the sleeve and leading him back inside.


	2. Exponents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Friday night at the Harrington residence.

 

“Okay, you’re doing exponents wrong.” Jonathan says gently, watching Steve’s face scrunch up in frustration. He knew the feeling, mathematics was possibly the most confusing and frustrating thing ever, and it was only getting harder.

 

 

 

“You multiply it! How am I doing it wrong?” Steve demands petulantly, throwing his pencil down and hunching his shoulders. Jonathan sits up on his knees and moves a little closer to Steve, sitting on his legs and leaning over to place his pencil on Steve’s paper.

 

 

 

“You multiply it by itself that many times. Five to the third power isn’t fifteen; it’s really five times itself three times. So,” Jonathan frowns, trying to piece the math together in his head. Five times five times five... Gotta be…

 

 

 

“One twenty-five.” Steve offers, Jonathan’s eyes widen and he looks up at the other a little stunned. “What? I’m not good with remembering what to do, I can do basic math in my head.” It wasn’t that at all, not in the slightest. Jonathan was just a little embarrassed himself that he couldn’t do such simple math in his own head.

 

 

 

“It just takes me a minute.” Jonathan mutters, leaning back and returning to his own paper. He felt like an idiot all the time with Nancy and Will, they were so smart he felt like some sort of Neanderthal. But Steve always made him feel kind of normal, he wasn’t exceptionally smart either, barely average like Jonathan.

 

 

 

“Oh,” Steve says quietly after a moment, like he had realized what Jonathan had meant. “Well that’s okay, we balance each other out. I’ll do the numbers; you help me with the steps.” He tells Jonathan brightly, always the optimist. Jonathan smirks a little when he’s nudged in the side by Steve’s shoulder. “We can be a team.”

 

 

 

“Yeah, a team.” He agrees softly, writing down the next part of the equation required.

 

 

 

“Come on, man. It’s been two hours, I’m tired!” Steve complains suddenly, dropping his head onto Jonathan’s shoulder. “Let’s go get some dinner, or order a pizza!” He scrambles to his feet like an excited child; Jonathan rolls his eyes and finishes the last step.

 

 

 

“We still have to go over the material for Chemistry, quiz Monday.” He reminds the other, despite knowing that it’s no use. Steve always got his way, Jonathan could never really sway him one way or another like Nancy could.

 

 

 

“Pizza and a movie, it’s Friday, dude!” He hears the sound of Steve’s knees hit the carpet behind him, and he grips his pencil tight as arms wrap around his waist. “You can stay over; we have all weekend, please?” He’s already being dragged backwards from his paper; Jonathan drops his pencil with a sigh.

 

 

 

“Fine,” He relents, Steve releases him with an excited holler and leaps up again. Jonathan stands up as well, with much less outward enthusiasm. He really did enjoy spending time with Steve, but it always seemed like they were goofing off. Jonathan couldn’t afford to fail his senior year.

 

 

 

“Thank you!” Jonathan’s eyes widen when Steve grips him by his head and kisses his forehead. “You pick the movie, I’m gonna go order.” He races out of the room and Jonathan listens to his quick footsteps thudding down the stairs. He reaches up and touches his forehead, before brushing his bangs back over it and ducking his head.

 

 

 

Steve must really miss Nancy if he’s willing to be so affectionate with Jonathan.

 

 

 

He heads downstairs, listening to Steve chatting on the phone with the pizza place employee idly in the kitchen. Jonathan sinks to his knees and opens the cabinet, scanning the array of selections. He drags a finger across the variety of VHS tapes, frowning in thought.

 

 

 

His hand goes back to his forehead distractedly, rubbing over the place where Steve’s lips had touched. It was just a quick kiss, on the forehead no less, his mother did the same thing on a regular basis to him and Will. So why did it bother him so much?

 

 

 

“We don’t have soda, man!” Steve’s voice startles him, and he cranes his head around to look at Steve pouting in the kitchen doorway. “How are we supposed to have pizza without soda?” He grumbles in irritation, Jonathan shrugs in reply.

 

 

 

“I don’t mind.” He offers, hoping to console Steve in some sort of way.

 

 

 

“I’ll just get some before I pick up the pizza,” Steve explains, sinking down onto the couch. “What are we gonna watch?” He asks, grinning.

 

 

 

“I don’t know, what do you think?” Jonathan asks, earning a look from Steve. Jonathan wasn’t a very decisive person; he never could simply choose something, not like Steve could.

 

 

 

“I give you a rope to skip with and you hang yourself with it.” He mutters as he stands and approaches the cabinet, Jonathan scowls.

 

 

 

“What does that even mean?” He scoffs, Steve smirks.

 

 

 

“Whatever I want it to mean,” He says snottily, making a face at Jonathan before grabbing a VHS tape. “This one.” He hands it to Jonathan, pats his shoulder, and stands. “You want to come with me to get the pizza?” He asks, Jonathan watches him walk over near the door and grab his keys off the table.

 

 

 

“Do you want me to go?” He questions, Steve looks back at him a little incredulously.

 

 

 

“Seriously?” He snorts, and then waves his hand. “Come on, Byers.”

 

 

 

Jonathan gets to his feet and hurries to the door, following Steve out obediently.

 


	3. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve has a habit of surprising Jonathan, this time to a more alarming degree.

                He was definitely not moping, or pouting, or anything of the sort. Sure, Jonathan was a little upset that Nancy couldn’t come home for Thanksgiving, but he was definitely not moping like Steve had said. Steve himself had been put out a little as well, but then he’d sort of shrugged it off and told Jonathan not to pout so much.

 

                Jonathan of course had told him he was definitely not pouting, and then went home. Now he was simply sitting on the chilled bleachers and watching the trees rustle in the cold fall wind as he eats his lunch. He liked the bleachers, it was where he had spent most of his freshman and sophomore year lunches, the rest of them having been spent in the school dark room.

 

                A lot of his junior lunches were spent either in the dark room, sometimes accompanied by the other two. But most of the time, he’d sat out in the front with them, away from people and prying eyes. Jonathan was easily anxious, especially around large crowds, and the volume of the cafeteria often unnerved him. He’d had to explain it to Steve at one point (a rather awkward affair, if you asked Jonathan), but Nancy never asked. They always just joined him out front, sat and talked together with no interruptions.

 

                The reminder of it makes him a little sad, sitting here on the bleachers like before. Back to his old ways, he guesses glumly.

 

                He startles when there’s a solid set of footsteps begin to shake the bleachers, it wouldn’t be the first time the football team paid him a lunch hour visit. However, instead, he sees Steve walking up to join him.

 

                “Hey there, stranger.” He smirks, joining him at the top seat and sitting down next to him. “It’s freezing out here, your nuts stuck to the bench?” He snorts, Jonathan can’t help but smile a little as he turns his gaze back out to the trees.

 

                Steve joined him a lot more than he used to when Nancy was around, Jonathan supposed he was lonely. Perhaps learning that loneliness made him realize that was the way Jonathan lived daily, he just probably didn’t realize that a lot of times he appreciated the solitude. Then again, maybe it was something he was conditioned to love, considering how much he really liked having Steve around lately.

 

                “It’s quiet,” Jonathan offers, crumpling up his paper lunch bag and shoving it into his satchel.

 

                “Sorry,” Jonathan didn’t really mean it to be something against Steve, but it was a little too late to take it back. But Steve only looks briefly apologetic before he reaches into his jacket pocket. “I got you something,” Jonathan frowns, cold fingers twitching stiffly in his lap.

 

                A chocolate bar is offered to him, a plain milk chocolate Hershey bar. Jonathan stares at it for a moment, before reaching out and taking it gently. The only presents he’d ever received were from his mother and brother, until just recently when he’d gotten to know Steve and Nancy.

 

                “I don’t know what your favorite is, but I’ve seen you eat those before so I figured it was a safe bet.” Steve explains, Jonathan looks down at the simple candy bar in his hands, to be honest, a little baffled. What would his fourteen year old self think, being friends with Steve Harrington, getting chocolate bars from him?

 

                “Was I wrong?” Steve asks suddenly, Jonathan looks up and frantically shakes his head.

 

                “No, no, this is good.” He assures, bringing up a hand to habitually bite at one of his nails. “Thanks,” He mutters, dropping the candy into his satchel. He'd eat it later on break at work, something to look forward to.

 

                “Yeah, man. Didn’t want you pouting the day away.” He nudges his shoulder against Jonathan’s, so the smaller boy shoves back in retaliation.

 

                “Piss off,” He grumbles, Steve laughs. Jonathan wraps his arms around himself and buries his hands under his underarms. The cold is beginning to deepen this late in the fall, and Jonathan was one of the unfortunate people that never grew accustomed to it, much like his brother.

 

                “Here,” Jonathan jumps when Steve drapes something over his shoulders, looking to him in alarm as the leather jacket is fitted to his frame. “You’re shivering.” Steve says; as if that’s a good explanation to why he’s risking having the snot beat out of him to just keep Jonathan warm.

 

                “It’s fine, we can go inside.” Jonathan says, but when his hand reaches to shift the jacket off, Steve smacks it away and pulls it further onto him. Steve’s fitted in a heavy sweater, and doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by not having his jacket anymore.

 

                “No, you’re right, it’s nice out here.” He smiles, patting Jonathan’s shoulder and turning his gaze to the trees beyond the field. Jonathan sits quietly, the warmth of Steve’s jacket seeping into his body slowly. It felt extremely intimate, wearing his friend’s jacket, but he felt rather pleased as well for some reason.

 

                Steve must be really missing Nancy by now, someone had to be on the receiving end of his affection, he supposed. He slips his arms into the sleeves of the jacket and bundles his hands in the pockets. His breath clouds the air slightly as he sighs in content, and when he glances over at Steve, they share hesitant smiles.

 

                Jonathan's younger self would definitely throw a fit at the sight of this.


	4. Black Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan and Steve are caught off guard in a power outage, leaving them in the clutches of paranoia and memories of the past.

Jonathan had been spending a lot more time with Steve than he used to, it just felt easy and right. Steve wasn’t exactly his doppelganger; in fact they were pretty different in most aspects. But something about the way they fit with each other just worked, Jonathan wasn’t nearly as stressed out around him as he was with most people. With Steve he could pretty much be himself, which was cheesy and cliché but also true.

 

“That’s bull shit!” Steve argues pointlessly with the sudden plot twist of the movie, throwing a handful of popcorn towards the screen. Jonathan smirks a little and rolls his eyes, leave it to Steve to be so dramatic. “If you keep making ugly faces, they’ll stick.” Steve scolds him, obviously put out by his reaction.

 

“You would know, you must have made an ugly face the day you were born.” Jonathan fires back easily with a smirk, earning a shocked look from his friend before they both begin to laugh. Tears in their eyes, leaning on each other’s shoulders, shoving at one another, they don’t see it coming.

 

The TV flickers, the lights follow, and there’s a surge of power before everything goes dark. The laughter stops abruptly, plunging them into dead silence. There’s a hitch of breath from Steve, and suddenly a hand slips into his and squeezes. The situation at hand distracted him from thinking about the fact that if Steve hadn't taken his hand, Jonathan would have been the one to do it.

 

“Jonny?” Steve murmurs nervously, Jonathan scoots a little closer to him and blinks into the nothingness of his vision. It was so dark he couldn’t see a thing, not even Steve. But their shoulders brush and their hands are gripped together like a lifeline.

 

“It’s okay, just a blackout.” He assures quietly, Steve breathes out shakily.

 

“That’s what we said was happening before- before- you know!” Steve exclaims softly, Jonathan squeezes his eyes shut and hopes when he opens them he’ll be able to see a little better, to no avail. They couldn’t panic, that would only lead to chaos.

 

“We’ll be fine, you keep flashlights anywhere?” He asks calmly, Steve is quiet for a moment.

 

“In the kitchen,” He offers, and then stands up, leading Jonathan behind him. They scuffle through the dark, stubbing toes on tables and running into walls. It happens so frequently that they begin to laugh and the tension eases in the slightest. He just can’t shake the feeling of something behind him, which makes him step on Steve’s heels every few steps, although the older doesn’t complain.

 

“It’s a damn maze in here,” Steve tells him, but he can feel the cool kitchen tile under his socked feet so they must be getting close.

 

“Which drawer is it in?” Jonathan questions, Steve hums and he can hear the sound of Steve’s hand sliding over the counter.

 

“Here’s the sink, so-“ A drawer slides open and objects rattle around, Jonathan huddles close behind Steve as his hand is released, close enough to smell his cologne. It feels like they’re surrounded in the quiet, like monsters are on all sides and just moving in the slightest would cause one to touch him. He’s afraid to move, to open his eyes.

 

“Aha!” Jonathan ducks his head and grips the back of Steve’s shirt with his now empty hand, last time things went dark the Demogorgon had gotten right behind him. He can remember the feel of its drool on his shirt, on his chin, disgusting and horrifying.

 

“Lights on, Jonny-Boy.” Steve pokes his shoulder and Jonathan can’t help but shake his head, he doesn’t want to open his eyes.

 

“Nothing’s there, right?” He demands quietly, Steve goes silent. He moves in Jonathan’s grip, so he has no choice but to release him for a moment. His hand goes back to Steve’s shirt, the front of it this time, he believes.

 

“Nothing but you and me, man. I promise.” He says sincerely, Jonathan slowly opens one eye. The beam of the flashlight is pretty strong, illuminating most of the kitchen up. Steve is right in front of him, staring at him with those soulful eyes. He relaxes a little, but not by much, glancing behind himself a moment before looking back to Steve. At least if he kept his eyes on Steve, he felt a little steadier.

 

“Sorry,” Jonathan releases his shirt and sighs shakily, knowing that his stupid fears had gotten the best of him. Steve shakes his head, and then wraps an arm over Jonathan’s shoulders.

 

“Let’s go up to my room, it’ll feel less vulnerable.” He explains, as if he knows exactly what Jonathan is feeling. Like they have their backs turned to something lethal, the dark naturally felt unsafe before, but now it made them even more paranoid and keyed up. Trauma presented in many different ways, he remembered a doctor saying that about Will's panic attacks.

 

Steve mans the flashlight and the head upstairs, side by side with Steve's arm still over Jonathan's shoulders. At least together they had a fighting chance against anything that came at them. Steve locks the door behind them, and Jonathan glances out into the dark woods for only a fraction of a second before it makes him feel even more vulnerable. They pile blankets and pillows in the far corner of Steve’s room, not acknowledging their childish ways as they sit shoulder to shoulder against the wall. The flashlight stays mostly on the shut and locked door, but sometimes they’ll move it about to scan certain shadowy areas. They stay silent, either too scared to speak or too distracted to think of anything to say.

 

After a while, they both begin to relax, becoming surer of themselves that it was a simple blackout. Nothing pops out, or crawls from the ceiling. The leaves in the trees rustle outside and a car in the distance honks, but nothing comes for them.

 

Jonathan must doze off, because he rouses to a hand shaking him gently. He sighs and blinks his eyes open, finding it still dark other than the beam of the flashlight. His head is tipped over; resting on what he realizes is Steve’s shoulder.

 

“Nothing much to do now but sleep, let’s go.” He slips out from under Jonathan’s head and helps him to his feet. They throw the blankets and pillows back onto the bed, and there’s a moment where Jonathan is sure he’s going to have to sleep downstairs or something. He really doesn’t want to, but he’d understand if Steve asked him. Maybe he could sleep on the floor.

 

“Come on, I feel like something’s gonna grab my ankle.” Steve shudders, dragging him onto the bed and pulling them both under the blankets.

 

They lay down with the blankets covering their whole bodies, the flashlight illuminating their little bubble of safety. Jonathan meets Steve’s eyes and Steve offers a weak smile.

 

“Should probably turn out the light, save the battery.” He explains hesitantly.

 

“Yeah, probably.” Jonathan agrees halfheartedly, but as soon as the light is out, anxiety creeps in. He’s confused when he feels Steve push into his space, but he then quickly decides it’s not a bad thing. The taller boy moves down the bed a little and his head is fitted under Jonathan’s chin, huddling them together in a small bundle of security. Jonathan is still for a moment, before he wraps his arm around Steve’s shoulders and holds him close.

 

It’s a little overwhelming, he’d never really been very intimate with people, and when he was it wasn’t with people other than his mother and brother. This was different; it made him feel less like a protector and more like being protected somehow.

 

“Think you can sleep?” Steve slips his arm over Jonathan’s hip, and he finds himself nodding against the top of Steve’s head.

 

“Yeah,” He whispers, tangling their legs together. Steve sighs against his throat, and Jonathan blinks at the sheet in front of his face for a minute or two before closing his eyes. He’s not quite sure what to think of the situation, it was odd and yet at the same time not completely unexpected somehow. He decides not to dwell on it so much, thinking about things usually ended in existential crises or anxiety attacks, sometimes both. So he shuts off his mind, hitches his leg up over Steve’s and lets his body relax. The warmth of their bodies quickly lulls him back to sleep.


	5. A Safe Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An attack from an unknown force leaves Jonathan and Steve shaken in very different ways.

Jonathan is actually trembling, petrified to the core. He spins in a circle, staring down at the wet leaves beneath his feet, listening to the howling surrounding him. It’s so dark he can’t see much but the shadows surrounding them; they shouldn’t have let it chase them out of the house.

 

He couldn’t help it; Mike had took off screaming for Eleven, and Will had followed. He couldn’t leave the boys out there alone, no matter how much Steve shouted for him to stop.

 

“Jonathan!” Will cries out in panic as the veil of darkness begins to blot out everything around them. Jonathan turns sharply and drops to his knees, pulling his brother to face him. Mike is there as well, looking downright frightened; he pulls the boy into their little circle and breathes shakily.

 

“Close your eyes, okay?” He instructs, watching their frantic eyes quickly shut tight. He holds Will by the wrist and Mike by the shirt, refusing to let go. The howling is picking up, more like wind than the moaning it was before. The ‘wind’ whips around them; he stays frozen in place as he feels something breathing against his neck.

 

“Jonathan?” Will whispers, voice almost inaudible under the heavy noise.

 

“Don’t open your eyes, guys. No matter what, do not open your eyes.” He refocuses his own gaze on the ground and hopes they’re scared enough to listen. He can feel a coldness creeping into his body, unnatural, he wonders if this is what death feels like.

 

Whispers begin to grow in his ears, voices that sound vaguely familiar. He tips his head, listening carefully, but is unable to hear anything specific. Something pushes at his back and he jerks forward into the boys, they only stumble back a step before huddling forward once more. He closes his eyes; it’s as if it’s trying to gain his attention

 

“Jon...ahhhh...than...” A voice warbles, warped and echoing around them. Will’s hand moves and latches to the collar of his brother’s shirt, Jonathan raises his head in the slightest. He glances behind the boys, noting the vortex of black matter swirling around them. He can see glimpses of faces, bodies, not entirely human.

 

“Jonny!” A different voice calls, there’s a bright flash and a shrill shriek of a noise, definitely not human. Jonathan squeezes his eyes shut as a blanket of cold washes over him and takes all of the air out of his lungs. He feels his knees lift from the ground and he’s flung back away from the boys, tumbling through the leaves roughly.

 

He lands on his back, staring up at the canopy of trees and the late night stars in the sky. It’s almost like he’s frozen, the cold burrowing beneath his bones and making him feel like he has no control over his body anymore. Like a stiff corpse, unable to do anything but lay there. There’s a silence around him, as if death itself has cast a veil over him.

 

It’s almost like a bubble pops, and everything comes rushing back at once. Jonathan gasps, pulling in air wildly as he remembers to breathe, all the noise fading into range. He can hear Will talking frantically, trying to rouse Mike, and then Steve is sliding across the wet earth to kneel over him.

 

“Jonny-Boy,” He takes Jonathan’s head and cradles it in his hands, eyes creased with concern and face twisted into a grimace. His body feels limp and heavy, even his head feels like dead weight in Steve’s grip.

 

“It said my name.” He croaks, the cold making him numb in a way that made him feel like he wasn’t in his body at all.

 

Steve seems relieved at his voice, smiling tiredly before clasping the back of his neck and yanking him up into a sitting position to hug him tightly. His warm face is pressed to the crook of Jonathan’s shoulder; he can see Will glancing over his shoulder at his brother worriedly as he helps Mike sit up.

 

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, okay?” Steve says seriously, Jonathan takes a moment to remember how to move his arms before gently wrapping them around the older boy. “You don’t leave my side like that, ever. We stick together, Jonny.” Steve leans back to look him in the eyes.

 

He’s still sort of holding Jonathan up, who’s too weak to do much other than rest his hands on Steve’s shoulders. He can feel the dampness of the ground seeping into his jeans, and there’s a smell of something like diesel fuel and corroding metal in the air.

 

“I’m sorry.” He tells the other sincerely, and Steve simply smiles again. He cranes his head a little to look back at the boys, but they seem okay. Oddly enough, Will doesn’t seem very affected by the attack, not like Mike and Jonathan. Maybe it had to do with his week in the Upside Down, but nobody would say that aloud.

 

Steve gets Jonathan to his feet and Will does the same for Mike. As they begin to walk towards the Byers’ residence, Steve leans down as they pass and picks up what Jonathan realizes is his camera. Steve smiles sheepishly at Jonathan when he notices him staring and places it over his own neck.

 

“I guess it doesn’t like having its picture taken.” He jokes quietly, and Jonathan laughs into the still fall night, soft and free. They take their time; Jonathan and Mike are weak in the knees and have to lean on their friends just to make it back to the house.

 

Dustin and Lucas are waiting just at the edge of the trees, and they don’t see the others at first.

 

“They’re dead, that thing killed them!” Dustin squeaks and Lucas shakes his head as the curly-headed boy paces. “We should have gone after them, who listens to Steve Harrington?!” He yells.

 

“Hey!” Steve objects, both boys jump and look visibly relieved at the sight of them. Lucas and Dustin race forward to meet Mike and Will, helping the latter with Mike.

 

“He’s not wrong.” Jonathan offers as they climb the porch steps, Steve scowls.

 

“Yeah well after this, maybe you should learn to listen to me.” He gripes, and Jonathan shakes his head.

 

“I couldn’t let Mike go off all alone, you know that.” He reminds the other as they step inside the house and down the hall. Steve sits him down on the bed and kneels down, untying Jonathan’s shoes.

 

“Apparently neither could your brother.” Steve grumbles. “The Byers boys, always getting into trouble.” He looks up at Jonathan as he slips off the smaller boy’s shoes, his anger dissipating with a small smile.

 

“We’ll be fine as long as we have Steve Harrington with us.” He teases; Steve rolls his eyes and rises up to sit on the bed next to Jonathan. It’s hard to describe how he feels in that moment, a mix of exhausted emotionally, physically, and mentally alongside a heap of confusion and anxiety.

 

That thing wasn’t gone, there was no way. Steve had probably just scared it into running away or leaving for a while. Hawkins was once again falling under the category of Indiana’s strangest and most dangerous small town.

 

Jonathan doesn’t want to lose anyone, he couldn’t take that. There had been too many close calls last time, and now they had to go through it again. What if Will got hurt? What if Steve did? The thought jolts him a little, when did Steve become such a priority of his?

 

“We should call your mom, and Hopper.” Steve murmurs, Jonathan shakes his head and sighs.

 

“My mom finally took some time off, we can handle this.” He argues quietly, Steve turns his head to glare at him.

 

“That thing could have killed you tonight, could have killed Will and Mike too.” He says, voice low and angry. “This shouldn’t be our problem; we shouldn’t be risking our necks for something that’s none of our business.” He hisses.

 

“It is my business; it became my business the second Will went missing. You want me to stand around and watch someone else’s little brother get snatched or killed? What if it was Mike? Or Lucas, or Dustin?” He shakes his head, wanting to stand up and storm off, but he feels so weak that he’d probably face plant the second he stood.

 

Steve seems as if he’s searching desperately for a rebuttal, but when he can’t come up with one he just sighs in frustration and drops back against the mattress.

 

“Next time, we stick together.” He says, like it’s a condition to his agreement. Jonathan smiles down at the floor under his feet, nodding.

 

“I won’t leave your side.” He promises, and looks up when the door squeaks open.

 

“I know we’re supposed to be sleeping in the living room,” Will says hesitantly, Jonathan nods him in.

 

“Bring your sleeping bags; you can sleep on the floor.” He explains, Will turns and races out, telling the other boys.

 

“I could have slept with them, kept watch.” Steve tells him quietly; Jonathan pulls himself back onto the bed and shoves the blankets down. He makes quick work of removing his jeans and tossing them on the chair at the desk.

 

“No way, you gotta stay here. I’m not leaving your side, remember?” He grins; Steve smirks and stands up to remove his own jeans. The boys come in with their sleeping bags, setting out in a little huddled form of sleeping bags and pillows on the side of the bed furthest from the door.

 

Steve climbs into the bed beside Jonathan, both of them laying on their backs and listening to the boys whisper and rustle about to get comfortable. Steve’s fingers brush against Jonathan’s under the sheets, seeking but cautious. Jonathan turns his hand over and slips it under Steve’s, squeezing his palm gently.

 

“Night, Jonathan. Night, Steve.” Dustin calls, signaling a few echoes of the same sentiments from the other boys. Jonathan turns his head and finds Steve staring at him in the dark, the only notification being the slight glimmer of his eyes.

 

“Get some sleep, guys.” Jonathan says, Steve squeezes his hand gently and he feels his anxiety melt away with the worries of the night. He closes his eyes and falls asleep within minutes.


	6. Happy Birthday, Steve Harrington

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Steve's birthday, and Jonathan has a very special surprise.

                Jonathan keeps his hand tucked in his jacket as he steps into Steve’s house one afternoon, a very special afternoon. Steve practically rushes to meet him at the door; he’s fitted in a soft looking long-sleeve shirt and jeans, a bright smile on his face. His eyes are immediately drawn to the bag in Jonathan’s other hand, right according to plan.

 

                “Is that for me?” He asks, excited.

 

                “It is your birthday, isn’t it?” Jonathan smiles before handing him the bag and adjusting his jacket so his other hand is still hidden. Steve quickly runs back to the couch and begins pulling the items out of the bag, a few mixtapes, some candy.

 

                “Wow, thanks man.” Steve turns over one of the mixtapes, scanning over Jonathan’s scrawl. “This is great.” He smiles, looking up at Jonathan with those breathtaking eyes that seemed to light up when they looked at him.

 

                “That’s not it.” Jonathan tells him, Steve’s eyes widen and his eyebrows dip down in confusion.

 

                “What?” He asks suspiciously, standing up. “What do you mean?” He demands, obviously curious. Jonathan simply smiles and taps his foot, gesturing for him to sit back down. Steve huffs as he does so, but Jonathan can tell he’s happy Jonathan would go to the trouble for pulling something like this.

 

                “Close your eyes.” Jonathan instructs, and Steve does so without further prompting. “Hold out your hands.” He says, and Steve follows his directions hesitantly. Jonathan pulls his camera up and makes sure he has the right angle before placing it back against his neck.

 

                “If this is a prank I’m gonna kill you, Byers.” He grumbles, Jonathan doesn’t respond, simply pulls his hand from his jacket. He sets the small ball of fur in his large palms, making sure it’s properly supported. Steve’s expression softens, but his eyes remain closed.

 

                “Open ‘em.” He holds up his camera, snapping a picture of the moment Steve lays eyes on the kitten in his hands. Small and black, with bright blue eyes, Steve’s mouth drops open. Jonathan snaps another picture, and then again when Steve looks up at him.

 

                “A kitten?” He asks meekly, Jonathan nods and sits down next to him. “You got me a kitten.” He whispers in awe, Jonathan bites his lip and nods. Steve pulls the dark mass of fur close to his chest and rubs his cheek against it, cooing at it, the thing finally mewls softly. Jonathan was surprised it didn’t give him away in the first place, but it was a quiet thing for sure.

 

                “You said you were tired of being alone here all the time, so I just figured…” He shrugs; Steve sets the kitten in his lap and pulls Jonathan into a hug. “Dustin’s cat had kittens.” He continues quietly, smiling as he pats Steve’s back. "Happy birthday, Steve Harrington."

 

                “I love you, dude.” Steve says, leaning back and running his hand down the back of Jonathan’s hair before picking the cat up again. “Is it a boy or a girl?” He questions.

 

                “A girl.” Jonathan tells him, hands fidgeting in his lap.

 

                “What’s her name?” Steve looks to him in wonder, Jonathan frowns.

 

                “That’s up to you; Dustin named them all after Star Wars characters.” He rolls his eyes, Steve snorts.

 

                “Well you get to name her too, she’s ours, right?” Steve looks to him with a small smile, Jonathan stares at him a moment in shock before shrugging. “We’ll need to think of a name we both like then. Something to fit this perfect angel.” Steve scrunches up his nose and rubs it against the kitten’s, the tiny thing meowing loudly and pawing at his face.

 

                “I’m not really good at names.” Jonathan says, Steve frowns as his finger pets the cat’s soft little ear.

 

                “That’s okay, neither am I.” He turns his head and reaches over, cupping Jonathan’s jaw and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Jonny.” He murmurs, bumping their heads together lightly before standing up.

 

                Jonathan ducks his head, cheeks reddening in embarrassment from the affection that Steve seemed to give out so very easily. He honestly didn’t understand Steve sometimes, how he could be so easygoing and loving. Jonathan had admittedly gotten close to him, much closer than he’d ever been with anyone else other than his family, but it was still difficult to express it.

 

                “How about Styx?” His voice snaps Jonathan from his thoughts, and he frowns up at the young man who’s allowing the small cat to nibble on his finger.

 

                “Like the band?” Jonathan asks with a smile, Steve grins.

 

                “Badass band, badass cat.” He shrugs, Jonathan rolls his eyes.

 

                “Styx it is.” He agrees, and then leans back against the couch cushions with a sigh. “Just glad you don’t wanna name her Journey.” He murmurs, Steve’s eyes widen and he realizes the mistake he’s made.

 

                “Journey!” He crows, Jonathan shakes his head.

 

                “No way, Steve! Styx is much better than Journey, Journey is awful!” Jonathan exclaims, Steve gasps and covers the kitten’s head with his giant palm, as if protecting her from Jonathan’s words.

 

                “For shame, Byers.” He hisses at his friend, before turning his nose up at the younger boy and storming into the kitchen. Jonathan listens in agony as Steve begins to belt out Wheel in the Sky.

 

                “Poor kitten.” Jonathan murmurs mostly to himself, reclining back on the couch and settling in to listen to Steve’s out of tune voice. Unfortunately, it had become a sort of comfort at one point, and before he knows it the late shift he’d done the night before is starting to weigh on him.

 

                He’d close his eyes for just a few minutes, just until Steve finished the song.  


 

~             ~             ~             ~             ~  


 

                Jonathan stirs to the sound of Steve’s voice, talking excitedly to someone. He stretches his legs a little and turns his head, nose brushing against the back of the couch.

 

                “Yeah I know! A kitten!” Steve laughs softly, Jonathan smiles sleepily to himself. Steve was bragging about his present, he felt proud for getting something right. “Her name is Styx,” He explains, then scoffs. “Like the band, Nancy.” Jonathan blinks his eyes open, Nancy?

 

                He realizes there’s a blanket tucked over him, and he’s warm and comfortable and tired, he doesn’t really want to get up just yet. Jonathan runs a hand through his hair and yawns quietly, closing his eyes once more and continuing to listen to Steve.

 

                “He’s still here, just asleep.” That gains his attention once more, Steve must have noticed he’d fallen asleep then; he must have put the blanket on him. “He’s been working a lot; he deserves a nap after this present.” His voice softens, but Jonathan can hear his footsteps drawing closer.

 

                There’s a moment of quiet, but he can hear Nancy’s voice over the phone distantly. The coffee table creaks under what he supposes is Steve’s weight, and a hand brushes his jaw.

 

                “Of course I love him, he’s a sweetheart.” Steve says in amusement, Jonathan’s heart starts to race a little. “Oh, like…” He scoffs quietly, obviously flustered. “Maybe.” He tells Nancy, sincerely, and Jonathan would give anything to know what they’re talking about.

 

                Another pause of silence, but this time he can’t hear Nancy’s voice either for a bit. There’s just the sound of Steve breathing, the feeling of a warm hand on his shoulder.

 

                “I’m not gonna wake him up, Nancy. He needs his sleep, you can call him another day.” Steve says after a beat, although he didn’t seem to be prompted by Nancy saying anything. “All right, bye, love you.”

 

                The words send mixed feelings through Jonathan’s stomach, swirling around in a vortex of confusion and anxiety. Why didn’t he like those words? He wasn’t jealous of Steve, because Nancy and Steve weren’t even really dating anymore. They had discussed seeing other people months before she left for college, but just hearing the words from Steve’s mouth made him want to twitch and fidget.

 

                The phone beeps as it’s hung up, and Steve’s hand rubs his shoulder, not in a jostling motion, more of a soothing one.

 

                “What are we gonna do with him, Styx?” He sighs, and Jonathan listens to the kitten chirp in response.

 


	7. A Tryst In The Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan shows Steve a peek into his life photographing the wilderness of Hawkins, and a peek into his past. Things don't go exactly as planned, but they always work out in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Warning, in this chapter Jonathan discusses an incident where his father physically assaulted him. Stay safe, everyone. )

“I came by yesterday and your brother said you were out.” Steve says as they sit on the hood of Jonathan’s car and eat the pizza they had picked up. Jonathan nods, getting sauce on the side of his mouth and quickly wiping it away. “But you didn’t have work yesterday.” Steve prods not so subtly.

 

Their relationship had shifted a little within the past month or so, Nancy would be home in just a few weeks, and things seemed more different than ever. They had dealt with some supernatural occurrences, nobody was grievously injured, but Steve had gotten a nasty cut on his arm. Jonathan felt like if anything went wrong again, they could deal with it no problem.

 

They spent a lot of time together, more than ever before, and they just worked around each other in a more fluid dynamic than a mutual partnership. Jonathan would feel off course without Steve at his side, and he felt safe enough in the friendship to assume Steve felt the same. They didn’t spend all the time together, Jonathan still had his days where he wanted to be alone, and Steve respected that.

 

But yesterday wasn’t really one of those sit-in-your-room days, it was a photography day.

 

“I was out,” Jonathan tells him vaguely, propping his foot up on the front fender and taking a sip of his Coke. “Taking pictures.” He continues, Steve looks almost relieved, but then he grins and the quick tell of his eyes is replaced with glimmering mischief.

 

“Thought you might be sneaking around with a girl, Byers.” He jokes, and Jonathan chuckles, really the idea was absurd. Nobody liked Jonathan, nobody really knew him, he was too cut off from other people. Steve and Nancy were the first real kids his age he’d had a friendship with in a long time.

 

“You’re the only girl for me, Harrington.” He smirks; Steve gives a scoffing laugh and bites into his pizza. “I was out in the woods,”

 

Steve is quiet then, and Jonathan goes back to chewing on his pizza. Steve didn’t like the woods; he didn’t like even going out into the backyard after dark. It unnerved him, and Jonathan understood that.

 

“Alone?” Steve asks softly, Jonathan nods his head and stuffs the rest of his crust into his mouth. “You’re not scared?” He questions, Jonathan shakes his head.

 

“It’s nice during the day, quiet, and peaceful.” He explains as he swallows most of his mouthful.

 

“Oh.”

 

Jonathan glances over at his friend, who still looks vaguely uncomfortable. He knew Steve worried about him a lot, almost as much as his mother did actually. He wanted to set that anxiety to rest, though, so he comes up with a plan.

 

“I can take you out there, if you want.” He offers, Steve glances up at the sky as if searching for the sun. “We’ve got hours until it’s dark, it’ll be fine.” He wipes his hand on his jeans and reaches over to pat Steve’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah, I guess.” Steve agrees hesitantly, and that settles it.

 

They head out to one of the backroads near the woods, one of his favorite spots to take photos, and park on the side of the road. Jonathan grabs his camera from the back of the car and they head out, Steve sticks a little closer than usual as they breach the tree line.

 

Steve begins to babble nervously as Jonathan starts taking his pictures, and what was once annoying is now a bit of a comforting white noise. He idly listens to Steve as he photographs the nature around them, stepping over a bunch of twigs to crouch down in front of a fallen tree, angling his camera just so to get the perfect shot.

 

They end up at Castle Byers, Will’s tiny little fort. Steve is amazed at the sight of it; even more so when Jonathan explains that Will, himself, and their mother had constructed it. They crawl inside, and Jonathan finds that it’s a little smaller than he remembers when he had built it at twelve, but it’s still big enough for them both to sit comfortably.

 

“Will used to come out here when my dad was arguing with my mom.” Jonathan tells him quietly, Steve’s eyes turn from scanning the fort to focus on the boy across from him. “I couldn’t leave her alone with him, I wouldn’t.” He shakes his head, pulling his knees to his chest with a sigh. Steve seems intrigued, they never really talked about personal things, but Jonathan just felt like sharing for some reason. It was rather uncharacteristic of him, but then again, being with Steve made him feel different.

 

Safe, was the word. Steve made him feel safe.

 

“Did he ever..?” Steve’s voice trails off, a grimace on his face, as if he realizes he’s starting to step on a line they’d never crossed before.

 

“Once, when I was fourteen.” Jonathan says with a nod, staring down at his knees. They never really talked about it, but Jonathan would never forget that incident. “He grabbed her arm, and I stepped in. I remember telling him to leave, to walk it off. I ended up on the floor with my ears ringing from how hard he hit me.” He huffs, dropping his chin onto his knee.

 

Steve remains quiet, and Jonathan isn’t sure if he should continue or not. He felt disconnected from the whole thing, a distant memory that made him feel number than anything else. Will hadn’t been home, and that was all that mattered.

 

“My mom lost it; she busted his lip and ripped his shirt. Told him to get the hell out and never come back.” He smiles a little at that, his mother was never a damsel in distress. She was more of a warrior mama bear than any other mother he’d ever met, fiercely protective of her cubs. Jonathan felt proud to have her as a mother. He remembered the aftermath of the whole thing, but he decided to keep that part to himself and his mother. The way she slammed the door behind Lonnie and collected Jonathan in her arms on the floor, she had cried while she held him, and he'd let a few tears slip himself as he hugged her. It wasn't the best memory, but it was one that reminded him what mattered most to him, his family.

 

“Damn, I knew your mom was a badass.” Steve chuckles, breaking his train of thought, and Jonathan can’t help but grin.

 

“Yeah, she is.” He sighs, turning his head a little and resting his cheek on his knee, looking at Steve. They stare at each other a moment and Steve is the one to fidget this time.

 

“My mom and dad, they don’t talk enough to fight.” He admits quietly, and Jonathan knows. He can tell from the often empty house that their family isn’t exactly the most connected. But when the Harrington’s are home, Steve’s father is off in his study and his mother is in her room or watching TV. She always greets Jonathan with a disconnected hello and a sharp glare of her eyes.

 

Jonathan wants to say that it might be a good thing, because from a young age he can remember covering his ears just to block out the spitted insults from one parent to the other. But silence was probably just as bad, knowing that your parents don’t love each other in the way they should was special venom of its own.

 

“I guess not all families are picture perfect.” Jonathan says instead, and Steve nods.

 

“Can I see your camera?” Steve inquires, Jonathan nods warily before handing it over. He trusted Steve not to break it, they were past that, had past it a long time ago. He tips it toward the ceiling and then back at the little pallet where Will often dwelled. He snaps a picture and Jonathan settles his head back on thigh, observing the drawings hung up everywhere.

 

_Click. Click. Click._

 

Jonathan turns his head, finding Steve pointing the camera right at him.

 

“What are you doing?” He asks, slightly embarrassed as his cheeks begin to pink. Steve snaps one more picture before lowering the camera.

 

“I just thought that it’s a shame you have so many pictures of so many things, but nobody really has any pictures of you.” He explains, handing the camera over. “If any of them turn out good, I want a copy.” He says sincerely, and Jonathan stares down at his camera a moment, biting his lip.

 

He sets the camera down, dropping his knees and crossing his legs. Steve’s eyes are like a hot brand; Jonathan keeps his own hidden behind the long fringe of his bangs.

 

“Jonny?” Steve whispers, Jonathan can barely glance up for just a second before looking away again, humming an inquisitive noise. “Can I kiss you?” His breath hitches a little, fingers tangling in his shirt anxiously. He’d never kissed anyone before, how was he supposed to kiss Steve Harrington, school playboy?

 

“I’ve never...” Jonathan lets his voice fade away, too humiliated to continue. Steve sits up on his knees and shuffles forward in the cramped space, reaching out to tip Jonathan’s head up by his chin.

 

“I don’t mind.” He says sincerely, leaning in and cupping his jaw. “Just say the word.”

 

“O-Okay...” Jonathan nods slowly, and then Steve’s lips are on his. It’s soft, just a press, Jonathan squeezes his eyes shut and pushes back in the slightest. There are no sparks or fireworks, but the warmth in the pit of his stomach makes it more than worthwhile. Steve pulls back after a moment, eyes sparkling spectacularly. “Was that okay?” Jonathan questions nervously, cheeks aflame.

 

“Yeah, for a first kiss, definitely okay.” Steve assures, smiling softly. “It was perfect.” He smiles, and Jonathan can’t help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Another chapter, I'm sorry these aren't that long, for some reason my word document makes them look a lot longer. )


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